


The Real Treat

by writingwithmolls



Series: My Heart Belongs to (All of) You [3]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Cooking, Dimitri has two hands, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Mercedes and Dedue are not in a relationship but love their partner dearly, Multi, Platonic Relationships, Polyamory, Post-Blue Lions Route (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:20:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27350359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingwithmolls/pseuds/writingwithmolls
Summary: Dedue wants to surprise his partner and enlists the help of Dimitri's wife, Mercedes, to create a meal that the king will be able to enjoy. While the dinner itself is excellent, little do the men know that Mercedes has a second surprise waiting.FE3H Polyship Week Day 3: Cooking/Surprises
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Dedue Molinaro, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Mercedes von Martritz
Series: My Heart Belongs to (All of) You [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1994713
Comments: 10
Kudos: 19
Collections: FE3H Polyship Week





	The Real Treat

"Did we miss anything?" Mercedes asked as she looked over the spread of food. "I'm feeling like we're missing something."

"Do we have the snap peas?"

"Yes."

"What about the soup dish?"

"We prepared that yesterday, the stock took a while, but we got it done."

"Then we should be good," Dedue said, wiping his hands on a towel that was left by the sink. He looked over the spread, counting out each of the dishes: a vegetable soup with a layer of cheese heated on the top, a bowl of fruits that had been cut into various shapes, a platter of pastries that flaked when one took a bite. He wanted everything to be perfect. Dedue had tried for so long to please Dimitri, but he never looked satisfied with the meals he cooked. By the time he finally admitted the reason... Dedue felt selfish. He felt like he had been doing it for himself the whole time, ignoring His Majesty's feelings on the dishes he was creating.

"I'm sure he's going to love it," Mercedes said with a smile. Her Majesty was a kind soul, something that his partner deserved whole-heartedly. Although Dedue and Mercedes did not see each other romantically, they spent much of their time together anymore, both wanting to stay close to their love and help him as he began to slowly change his country for the better.

It had been Mercedes's idea to prepare a meal for Dimitri. Instead of finding the rarest spices and spending hours experimenting with flavors, she had urged Dedue to focus on what His Majesty would be able to appreciate. Mercedes and Dedue spent hours in the kitchen testing different textures, how the feel of the food could create a favorable experience. Dimitri’s sense of smell had diminished with his taste, so he figured out how he could make some of the dishes sizzle—served on the hot pan as it was still sauteing. Mercedes had created a pudding with a top layer of caramelized sugar that would offer a satisfying crunch. She also helped with the plating, the two of them spending hours drafting ideas for how to make colors that popped and complemented each other.

They just wanted to create a meal that Dimitri would be able to enjoy.

"Dimitri will be looking for you, soon. His meeting should be over," Mercedes said, sharing a smile with the man. He should have been accustomed to such gentle interactions towards him at this point, but they continued to warm his heart as the Kingdom reached for bigger and better relations with all of its people. He was not only allowed at the king's side, but his presence was becoming welcome within the court. Even those that knew of the romantic nature of their partnership allowed for the shock to wear off. 

"He was sad last night when you didn't come to bed," Dedue shared, looking to the queen. "I told him that you were busy, but he gave me the saddest puppy dog eyes."

Mercedes giggled at the mention of her husband and shook her head. "Soft." She shooed Dedue towards the kitchen door with the towel she held in her hand. "I will put the finishing touches on the meal, now go! Make sure he's ready!”

Dedue followed the command of the sweet words and hung his apron on the kitchen hook. He was nervous, worried that the surprise would still come off as insensitive. At the same time his partner had made it clear that he wanted to be able to appreciate both his and his wife’s hobbies. Mercedes and Dedue felt at ease in the kitchen and he had always respected that and attempted to play along. Even if their efforts ended up being in vain, Dimitri would know that they tried to involve him.

As Dedue walked through the halls to the throne room, he found himself nodding and greeting those who buzzed around instead of simply keeping his head down. How long had he thought he  _ had _ to do that Faerghus? He felt like it was his only option for the longest time, as he called attention to himself regardless. Sylvain even insisted on patting his shoulder as he walked by, no longer thrown by his relationship with the king.

When he entered the throne room, he was surprised to see a familiar knight talking to his partner.

“There were no immediate problems, so I recommend—Dedue!” They got distracted, turning instinctively to see who had opened the door. “How are you? It’s been a while.”

“Everything is well,” Dedue said, straightening a bit as Ingrid bowed to him. The guard captain was looking vibrant, with no circles under their eyes for once. They had finally turned down the marriages that their family had been insisting and swore into the position the following year. Even though Ingrid was destined to be stationed in the crown city, they had taken it up to travel the country and learn as much as they could before settling. They wanted to protect as many people as possible, to not fear the unknown. “You look delighted.”

“I was told some wonderful news this morning,” Ingrid said with a smile, “ _ and _ I was able to visit the castle.”

“How long are you staying?” Dedue asked as Dimitri used the pause in the conversation to clean up his papers from the meeting, Annette helping to keep them in order. Becoming King had truly been a group effort for the former Blue Lions, but they were willing to help Dimitri, willing to continue to be his family. “We have a meal scheduled for tonight, but I would love to train with you.”

“Think you can take me down?” Ingrid raised an eyebrow, before shaking their head with a laugh. “About a week, so we can make time.”

“We have a meal scheduled?” Dimitri asked, Annette giggling knowingly as she handed him the parchment.

“Yes, with Mercedes and I. I was sent to retrieve you.”

“Huh,” Dimitri wondered out loud.

“I will be taking the papers, then, Your Majesty,” Annette teased, scooping them back out of his arms. “Have fun with Dedue and Mercie! Relax!”

“You most definitely need it,” Ingrid said, chuckling to themself. “I’ll help Annette and greet the others. Have a lovely evening.”

Dimitri looked confused as the two shared a meaningful glance, taking up their laughter. It was clear that Mercedes had been sharing the secret, but it all seemed to go over Dimitri’s head, thankfully.

Once they were clear from the throne room, Dimitri turned to him. “What exactly just happened?”

“We are having a nice dinner,” Dedue said, watching as his partner chose to just go along with the strangeness of the situation. While he had kept his hair long, it had been properly trimmed and washed thanks to his and Mercedes’s insistence. And while Dimitri was still dealing with the demons that haunted him, he stood proudly and always put his best foot forward for his people. Dimitri was someone that Dedue would follow to the ends of the earth and beyond, content with never looking back.

“Is that why you and my wife continued to disappear?” Dimitri asked and didn’t receive a response. “Mercedes told me she was working on something for Annette.”

“I don’t mean to call Her Majesty a liar,  _ but _ …”

Thankfully, his joke earned a hearty laugh from Dimitri who took his hand as they walked to the dining room. Dedue hoped that Mercedes was ready as he pushed the wooden doors open, finding a table filled to the brim with the dishes they had prepared, lit by soft candles and flowers that brought reds and oranges to yet another grey winter.

“Oh,” Dimitri said, a small gasp as he entered the room. “Truly, you shouldn’t have.”

“My love,” Mercedes said as she emerged from the kitchen with one last dish—a cake that looked to be made of jelly that shook as she walked. “Surprise!”

“This—” Dimitri was left speechless. Dedue watched as a steady blush appeared on his cheeks as he took in the scene, Mercedes urging the men to come over and take a seat at the table. Even though Dedue had prepared the spread, he had to admit that it looked stunning when all set out. All the various garnished offered pops of color, while the food itself focused on bringing as many shades as they could to the table. “I do not deserve such care—”

“Sit down,” Mercedes said, not allowing her husband to even begin his usual spiral of self-deprecation. “Dedue and I prepared a guide of sorts.” She giggled as she produced it, handing it to Dimitri as he sat down at one end of the table. “While we did not completely throw taste out the window, we  _ did _ choose to focus the spread on other senses.”

As Dimitri began to look at the list they had created (complete with descriptions and ingredient lists that Dedue had spent a few hours writing out in careful script), Dedue spoke up, “My apologies for not thinking of why you would not be able to enjoy my meals. Mercedes helped immensely to come up with this dinner. We placed emphasis on the appearance, sounds, and texture of each item. Hopefully it has created a good sensory experience, even if you like just like one of the dishes—we will consider this successful.”

“You put so much effort into this, I’m—” Dimitri stopped himself. “Thank you. Both of you, loves.”

“Let’s eat!” Mercedes urged.

Dedue poured two glasses of sparkling wine, Mercedes shaking her head when offered a flute. They  _ attempted _ to begin with the savory dishes, but Her Majesty had sweets on her plate within an instant and Dimitri followed suit, also finding himself intrigued by the pan that was still sizzling on the table with vegetables and protein.

He was entranced by Dimitri’s surprised expression each time he tried one of the dishes, making sure to take small bites so he could sample each and every one. Mercedes and Dedue were already joking about how overboard they went—how there was enough food for a family of ten. Mercedes had to assure the worried king that it would go to good hands and not be wasted.

The meal passed by quickly in between bites, Dedue finding himself much more relaxed as their partner appeared to be enjoying himself. Dimitri was like a child experiencing going to a festival for the first time, unable to control their excitement as they saw so many new things. He was smiling the whole time, letting himself enjoy life in the moment.

“I have a surprise,” Mercedes said, looking at her two dinner companions after over an hour had passed. All three were full, but would sneak in bites when the food appeared to be calling their name. Dedue had assumed that Mercedes had something to say—it had been written on her face—but a surprise?

Dedue furrowed his brows. He didn't remember seeing her make anything else, and he would feel bad if she had put even more work into the meal than she already had. Mercedes was a hard worker, even if she could be forgetful at times. As a friend, she was the best person he could ask for to help him surprise their partner.

"There can't possibly be more," Dimitri said, looking to the meal. "We already have so much to give to all the castle's workers."

"It's a bit of a different type of surprise," Mercedes said with a giggle, using her fork to pluck another piece of the sponge cake and put it into her mouth. "Plus, more nice food could never hurt. They deserve treats much more than we do."

"What's the surprise?" Dedue asked.

"Well," Mercedes looked between them, a wide smile on her face that showed a barely contained joy, "I wasn't sure, so I waited a while and I saw a doctor... but I'm expecting. We're going to have a little Blaiddyd running around the castle."

"You're—" Dimitri said, his eye widening with surprise as he looked at his wife in disbelief. "Oh my goddess above."

Dedue knew how much Dimitri wanted to be a father. Even when they were just students, he would always entertain the idea of seeing him with a family, the same that he had lost so many years ago in the tragedy. He felt guilty that he was sitting at the table with the married couple, the moment so personal and unique to  _ them _ .

“Congratulations,” Dedue said as Dimitri beamed, “I will allow you to have your moment—”

“Dedue,” Mercedes interrupted, “if I didn’t want you to be included, I would have saved the news for later.”

“Are you sure that you’re pregnant?” Dimitri was still sitting in pure disbelief, looking at his wife.

“Unless the doctor lied,” Mercedes said with a laugh, clearly amused by his expression. Dedue had to admit that it was funny to watch an announcement bring so much joy to his partner. He could feel his own heart swell with his happiness. “Dimitri, I love you so much and now we can continue to grow our family.” Mercedes stood, smoothing her dress over her stomach. Even though it was slight, there was clearly a defined curve that pressed on her abdomen. “I may have eaten lots of food, but I promise there is also a small person! I’m surprised that neither of you noticed.”

Mercedes was still giggling away as Dimitri stood, sweeping her into a kiss and then pressing his hands in disbelief against her stomach. Dedue always appreciated how her hands were so much smaller than the king’s, especially as they rested over his. Dedue was truly glad for his partner and his closest friend. If there were ever two people who deserved happiness—

“Dedue,” Dimitri called to him and waved him over, reaching for his hand after Dedue had stood. “Mercedes and I have discussed this topic many times and… well, it would seem silly for you to not partake in our family if it ever became a reality.”

“We may not be romantically together,” Mercedes picked up, looking to her husband and then back to Dedue as his heart fluttered at the possibilities, “but you are very close to me and it’s important how happy you make Dimitri. Perhaps it’s a strange dynamic… but if you would like to  _ also _ be a father to our child, I would be thrilled.”

It was hardly the proposal Dedue had ever expected and he found  _ himself _ the one being shocked, nearly dropping Dimitri’s hand. A… father? With Dimitri?

“You can also take your time to consider it,” Dimitri assured, unable to decide to look at Mercedes, Dedue, or the newly growing member of their little family. “Please do not feel pressured to say yes.”

“Are you sure?” Dedue asked, incredulous. It had always been one thing for Mercedes to continue ensuring that he was welcome, but his heart soared dangerously at the thought of raising a child with his love.

“More than sure.” Mercedes kissed his cheek, glowing. “You have been a part of our family from day one.”

“And you will continue to be,” Dimitri said.

Dedue kissed him, before Mercedes took his hand and placed it over theirs as well. “Then, of course. It will be my honor.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! My name is Molly and I'm an author who writes about wlw <3
> 
> If you like my work, please support me by following @ mollymariewrites on Instagram! There you can find my Twitter, my published work, as well as get updates about my various sapphic own-voices projects! Thank you so much for your help <3
> 
> Thank you to Rory for the wonderful title!


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